Applying to a private high school in the East Bay usually means one of two tests. The Catholic high schools use the HSPT, and the independent schools mostly use the ISEE or SSAT. We offer one-on-one prep for all three.
The HSPT and the Catholic high schools
Bishop O’Dowd, Carondelet, De La Salle, Saint Mary’s College High School and the other Catholic high schools of the Diocese of Oakland give the High School Placement Test on a single shared Saturday in January. For students entering in fall 2027, that’s January 9, 2027. Students take it once, at one school, and send scores to the others, so there’s no second try. The test is timed and moves quickly through verbal skills, quantitative reasoning, reading, math and language, and pacing matters as much as content. We like to start in the fall, so a student can build up skills and take full practice tests before December.
The ISEE and SSAT and the independent schools
College Prep and Bentley ask applicants for the ISEE or SSAT, with testing usually finished by early February, and Head-Royce has asked for the ISEE in past years. Bentley also offers an essay option in place of a test. The verbal and reasoning questions look unlike anything students see in class, and the math can include topics they haven’t covered yet, so focused prep helps a lot. Some schools, like Saklan and Seven Hills, use their own assessments for younger applicants instead.
How we prepare students
The tutor starts with a diagnostic, focuses on the sections with the most room to grow and works on timing with full practice tests. Because our tutors are close in age, they’re also good at easing the nerves that come with a first big test. Check each school’s admissions page for its current requirements, since policies change from year to year.
Sessions are one-on-one, at home or online. Tell us which schools your student is applying to, and we’ll plan backward from the test date.